In this article, I will restrict analysis of the movement for affirmative action to the country's higher education system, the militants' demands most targeted sector, and, for that same reason, responsible for the middle class character of those actions. As we shall see, the Brazilian political system responded to such demands almost immediately, both the government and politicians, although these demands still encounter strong resistance in civil society. My purpose is to understand the motives for such contrasting reactions. But first, I will briefly present the country's educational problems, as well as measures being adopted by the government and the political system in general to tackle them.
HIGHER EDUCATION; GOVERNMENT PROGRAMMES; PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES; RACE
